Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-01-11
A PRACTICAL SUN MOTOR.

~
II Il more than fifteen years ago that
the veteran inventor. Captain Ericsson
began experiments with view TO usilif'
ing the heat Of the sun n motive pow
or In countries where the sun shines
fereely and every day during the hot
season. The frat practical result OF
Eric..on's work was bis invention Of =
Loi.air engine. now extensively used iof
pumping purposes In many New York
houses. Upon the solar engine he worked
!or several years almost constantly. with
ou, reaching VIA, he deemed TO be sat-
isfse,ory results. Preach engineers en-.
hibi,sd q, the Paris exhibition Of 1867
some motors In use for s,ime Ia Algeria.
and the news thA, the Preach govern
men, was ready TO consider improvements
In solar motors induced many Engllsh
and American inventors TO 20 TO work
upon the problem. or these Captain
E,ic.On appears to have been the most
successful, and although bis motors have
no, yet been manufactured for practical
purposes. he flashed. nearly three years
ago. . sun motor. which worked for long
time In the back yard Of bis house pumping
water whenever the sun 'hone, and showed
conelu,Issly tina, the idea vi. practicable
Since then Captain Ericsson b. never
given up the idea Of 30 simplifying the
original msehine--n,her . costly one
that II can be manufactured ~ eheaply
a. . small steam engine and exported TO
tropical ooan,rie. whsr, coal Is scarce aud
sunlish, plenty.
The result, nov obtained, the motor
having been further improved las, sum
mer, 10 the outcome Of twenty years OF
experiments. The leading feature OF the
la,s,, device 10 ,hs, Of concentrating the
radian, heat OF the sun by means OF =
rectangular trough. having q carved bot.
tom lined on the inside With polished
plate. 90 arranged that they reflect the
sun. ray. towards q cylindrical boiler
placed lonsi,udinally above the trough.
Thi. boiler contains the acting medium.
steam OF air. employed 10 transfer the
solar energy to the motor. the pi'ion'
and valves resembling those q motive
engines Of the ordisary type. The great
COS, Of large rfse,ou 10 one piece and
the difficulty Of producing accurate eurv.
a,ure on large scale are objections Which
have been supposed TO render dire, solar
energy practically useless for producing
mechanical power. Cap,Ain Ericsson
attempts 20 oyereoms thcse objections by
u.ing q number Of ia, strip. Of 'il'ered
sla. ) inches vide and 20 inches long /;
there are sigh, Of these strips placed eide
BY side on the curved bottom u the
trough. and 30 arranged ths, the sun.
beams falling upon them are DETECTED
upwards against the bottom OF the boil
,r. Such sIa.. Is inexpensive. aud ,ei'
sniheally accurate work u uncAlled for.
The whole trough !. arranged upon q
pivot which allo.. !, 20 be moved % that
the ,un shall Away. fall directly upon the
rejecting plate. The trough !. | feet
long and | 6 feet broad. the boiler icing
Of the same length aud 81 inehe. IN III.
ame,,r The motor il steam engine
with a working cylinder Of g inehs. de
ams,sr AID an s.ineh stroke; the piston
rod operate. j.ineh fofee pump. aud
motion !. al.o impaired to crank .hafs
and hy-wkesl The average speed Of the
engine during the ,riSls Of las, summer
va. 100 ,urn. per minute. the pressure
on the working piston being IS pound.
Per inch.
Captain Erie.son nos say. iha, be has
flushed the work 10 bis Satisfaction, aud
believe. tia, with motor. costing bat lii.
tie more than steam engine. "a amount
Of work can be obtained In ho, ooan,ris.
which more than r,pay' the extra Coz, OF
the sun motor IN one year. With the
scientific results Of bis motor be Is per.
f,e,ly satisfied. aud he !. ready to turn
the device over TO capitalists. lie !. no,
. bushes. man himself. and would never
embark in the manufacture q biz device
no matter how sure be might be Of the
profit. to be derived ,ksisfrOm. Indirect.
ly. bis long experiments upon this sun
engine have paid him very well .inAsmneh
.s abou, 1000 Of the ho,.air motors are
used in New York alone. and. Of course.
Captain Ericsson receives a regular roy
atty upon them.
Having finished an invention. and as
.ursd himself by the practical working
Of q, least on model that there il no
further improvement, 10 be made. Captain
Ericsson seems 10 lo,e all interest in H.,
and Tor some month. has been busily en-
gagged Ia other directions lie !. now 81
years old, but bis intimate friends say
,ha, he is in better general health. and
enjoys mote complete command Of all his
faculties than ten years ago; be .iill
work. regularly ten OF twelve hours q
day At bis drawings. and !, an indsf.iis-
able contributor to scientific periodicals..
For the las, year be has given up bis
nigh, walks which for May years con-
'ti,u,ed hi. only exercise he found that
the outdoor air Of bis nsighbOrhood, now
become noisy aud unpleasant. was no, 90
good as ,ha, Of bis large, roomy house,
and he walks up and down the long rooms
Of BIZ, old.iA,hionsd dwelling instead Of
going on, doors.
One Of the grea, disappoin,menis Of
the last few year. to the venerable inven-
tor ha, been the failure Of the United
States Governmen, TO continue the work
and experiment. which be began in hi.
famous little vessel, the Destroyer. Ever
since the Monitor Was built. Captain
Ericsson. mind has been largely devoted
TO the means Of defending thi. ooun,ry
agains, foreign invasion. lie is certain
tha, in the Destroyer be has devised an
engine more terrible than q hundred such
cruisers as the United States !. now abou,
TO build. He has carried the experiments
with the Destroyer as far as the law will
allow, and has done everything but Ere
loaded proj,e,iles; and although he con-